Cullen - Balyfin, Laois

[Ffortune]

Hi All
I am looking for some help on one of my brickwalls.
My 2xggm was Dorinda Cullen b c 1837. Her marriage cert (1862) gives her fathers name as John Henry Cullen & one of the witnesses is a Theresa Cullen. The 1871 census return gives her place of birth as Balyfin, Ireland.

Any help very gratefully recieved.
Regards Ffortune

[Mutley]

I'm sorry I cannot help much with Irish records, very difficult! but there is a Joseph Cullen with wife Ellen in 1871 living in Yorkshire. They were both born in Laois. Joseph's birth being in 1846.

If, by any chance, he is Dorinda's younger brother they were still in Ireland then.

Do you have Dorinda in 1851 or 1861?

[JNicLiam]

Balyfin is a strange spelling for an irish name. There is a Ballyfin (with 2 ls) in Co Laois. It is a small village and parish on the regional road R423 between Mountmellick and Mountrath.

However looking for townlands named Ballyfin on www.seanruad.com there are two others in Co. Cork and one in Wexford. Note Co Laois ws previously known as Queen's County.

Regards
Jill

[Ffortune]

I think that I have found Dorinda in 1861 - she is working as a house servant in Kensington. Her place of birth is given as Swindon but the name above is linked with Ireland so I suppect this is an error by the enumerator. Also in 1861 there is a Theresa Cullen in St Pancras aged 15 & my working assumption is that she could be a cousin, particularly as Dorinda named her first daughter Theresa. I cannot find Dorinda or Theresa in England in 1851 but there are some possibles for Theresa's father & elder brother in Lancashire.

Thanks for the info that there are numerous Bal(l)yfin's.
In later census' her husband lists her as being from Glasgow but my Aunt remembers her grandmother Theresa refering to Dorinda as Irish. Also I am inclined to believe Balyfin as it really too obscure to be an error.

regards Ffortune

[JNicLiam]

You might also find it useful to leave this query on the Cullen surname website on rootsweb. It is at http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.cullen/mb.ashx . Although it is used more by Americans than Europeans you may just get something useful.

Regards
Jill

[TerrySBaker]

Ballyfin Demesne, Co. Laois, a large estate, was the home of the Coote family, who were very rich landowners in the area. When we visited there last year part of their mansion there was being used as a school and the main building was being converted into a hotel. Ballyfin church is situated within the grounds of the demesne.

[locallad27]

In cemetery records for Ballyfin, only one Cullen found

Fintan Cullen, tradesman, Clonkeen, 25/3/1955
Try here 1901-1911 census
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie